Yucca’s are a frequent site along the first 150 miles. They come with white or reddish purple blossoms. They send up a massive flower stock, and then seem to die shortly after. Every dead flower stock I have seen is atop a dead plant.
Don’t know what this is called, but it has more of a needle than a leaf, and some of them are covered with some kind of fiber, although the source of it is a mystery to me.
Breakfast the first day was enjoyed on a big rock overlooking this grassy valley with a small herd of cattle in it. Such a contrast with the rest of the terrain.
You can just make out the trail making the 800 foot ascent out of Hauser Canyon. Lots of complaining in camp the first day about this ascent in the heat.
There are some pretty amazing vistas, looking out across the rolling hills. None of them are particularly tall for the first 150 miles, but there are a lot of them, and we seemed to climb most of them.
While passing through the Laguna Recreation Area, I spent a couple of miles in an area that had recently burned. I was amazed with the number of wildflowers that were quickly growing again.
I came across this spot with over a dozen memorials to people. It was on high bluff, and I assume that the people memorialized here had their ashes scattered into the valley below.
A Yucca without a flower stock. They are very prickly, and you know it if you brush up against one. The general rule of thumb here is to touch nothing. Seems like everything has thorns or sharp brittle branches.
Another variety of sharp spindly leaved plant with a big flower stock. And, unlike the Yucca that stays ow to the ground, this plant slowly grows higher on its stock.
I found out later that these are Ocotillo plants. At this time of year they look just like a long spindly stick with thorns, with an orange flower at the top. Bizarre.
The flexible post with the big sticker on it is a common sight along the trail, although this one has been modified with the yellow sticker in the ‘Open to’ section. It originally was identified as open to walked and horseback riders. The modified sticker includes bicycles, which are explicitly excluded on the PCT, as show at the bottom of the original sticker.
Thank you for the wonderful pictures and texts. It gives me an armchair trip with you.
Great photos of your new beginnings! My son hiked the same trail just about twenty years ago. Blessings to you on your journey..
Yes, fantastic, beautiful shots. Thanks so much for sharing and taking the time to provide the comments.
Thanks for the lovely photos of the desert. Have a great walk to Canada, will be following your blog. Best wishes!
Great photos, and love all your captions explaining them. Thanks!
Great pictures! Thank you for sharing.